BY ROSANNE BOWMAN
An interview with Marilyn Tucker. HER ROLE: Christmas collectibles collector
1. How many different Christmas collections do you
have?
I have snowmen. I have Santas. I have a lot of angels – they aren’t all out. I have two Christmas villages. One is old-timey houses and the other is a Precious Moments village.
2. What did you start out collecting?
Goodness, probably before I met my husband, I started out with the old time village. Then someone gave me a Santa and people just built off of that. The same thing happened with the snowmen – most of the ones here someone gave me.
3. How long does it take you to put it all up?
It took longer this year because I was sick, but usually it takes about three to four days. It takes about a day just to put up the old time village. That’s a job.
4. How long do you leave everything out?
I take everything down the week between Christmas and New Year’s. By New Years, I want it all put away. I’m ready for it to be all cleaned up.
5. When did you start collecting?
I didn’t really know I was collecting – people kept buying me things. I started with one row of houses, and then I started getting the snowmen and the Santas, and it just took off from there. People just kept giving me things.
6. Do you have anything else you would like to start
collecting?
I don’t see where I’d put another collection. I probably won’t start anything new, but I might add a few more things to the collections I already have.
7. Do you have a favorite?
No, I really enjoy all of them. I started with the village, and I really like that, but I just like them all. I enjoy having them all out.
8. Do you have any non-Christmas collections?
Yes, I also have lighthouses out the rest of the year, and I usually leave some of my angels out, too.
9. Do you know how many individual pieces you have in your collections?
I think last year I counted the Santas, and I had 88 of them. I have never counted the snowmen, but I don’t know – I suppose I have around 100 of them. I don’t know how many of each thing I have though, but it’s a lot.
10. What’s the most challenging aspect of having all these collections?
Definitely storage! Putting them away and finding a place to put them is the biggest challenge. I bought plastic tubs so I can store them in the basement and everything will stay dry. Our basement is pretty dry, but once in a great while we’ll get water down there, so I got the plastic tubs because I don’t want anything to get ruined.
An interview with Marilyn Tucker. HER ROLE: Christmas collectibles collector
1. How many different Christmas collections do you
have?
I have snowmen. I have Santas. I have a lot of angels – they aren’t all out. I have two Christmas villages. One is old-timey houses and the other is a Precious Moments village.
2. What did you start out collecting?
Goodness, probably before I met my husband, I started out with the old time village. Then someone gave me a Santa and people just built off of that. The same thing happened with the snowmen – most of the ones here someone gave me.
3. How long does it take you to put it all up?
It took longer this year because I was sick, but usually it takes about three to four days. It takes about a day just to put up the old time village. That’s a job.
4. How long do you leave everything out?
I take everything down the week between Christmas and New Year’s. By New Years, I want it all put away. I’m ready for it to be all cleaned up.
5. When did you start collecting?
I didn’t really know I was collecting – people kept buying me things. I started with one row of houses, and then I started getting the snowmen and the Santas, and it just took off from there. People just kept giving me things.
6. Do you have anything else you would like to start
collecting?
I don’t see where I’d put another collection. I probably won’t start anything new, but I might add a few more things to the collections I already have.
7. Do you have a favorite?
No, I really enjoy all of them. I started with the village, and I really like that, but I just like them all. I enjoy having them all out.
8. Do you have any non-Christmas collections?
Yes, I also have lighthouses out the rest of the year, and I usually leave some of my angels out, too.
9. Do you know how many individual pieces you have in your collections?
I think last year I counted the Santas, and I had 88 of them. I have never counted the snowmen, but I don’t know – I suppose I have around 100 of them. I don’t know how many of each thing I have though, but it’s a lot.
10. What’s the most challenging aspect of having all these collections?
Definitely storage! Putting them away and finding a place to put them is the biggest challenge. I bought plastic tubs so I can store them in the basement and everything will stay dry. Our basement is pretty dry, but once in a great while we’ll get water down there, so I got the plastic tubs because I don’t want anything to get ruined.